When you think about parquet floors, there are certain types of flooring that come to mind. You probably think of the cheap engineered wood of the 1970s and 1980s. Others think of the imitation wooden flooring of the 1990s or early 200s. Whatever the case may be, the impression of parquet flooring is not actually supported by the history of parquetry. The history of parquetry and true parquet floors helps to explain why it is making such a strong comeback.
Parquetry
The first parquet floors were introduced in 1684 at the Palace of Versailles in France. The earlier floors had been marble and needed to be washed constantly; that led to the joists rotting underneath the floor. The floors were replaced with diagonal squares of wood. Each square is made of smaller diagonal squares of wood. The word in French means “small, enclosed space.”
As wood became more readily available for flooring, the square parquet floors were replaced with wooden planks that became the norm. Parquet was then mimicked by some who would use a thin veneer of wood over a synthetic base or even just vinyl designed to look like parquet. However, the history of parquet is one of attractive wooden flooring with all of the features of modern planks. That history has spurred a resurgence.
Resurgence
Parquet has the ability to transform an ordinary wood floor into something truly unique. If you watch basketball, you have likely noticed the most prominent example of a parquet floor. The Boston Celtics play on a parquet floor that was originally at Boston Garden and was moved to their current home. The floor is the only one in the NBA that is not a maple floor in rectangular planks. The floor is red oak. It creates a sense of motion and excitement on the floor without looking busy. Many homeowners have taken notice of examples of parquet such as TD Garden and Versailles and seek to recreate that. Parquet is not as readily available as rectangular planks but more suppliers are popping up every day. Ease of installation is one of the biggest benefits of parquet. Oftentimes, it is easier to fit squares into tight corners and to cut them down to fit in your house. Also, the floors are installed the same way as any hardwood plank; therefore, your installer will definitely be able to spice up your floor with no added effort.
Peninsula Hardwood Floors in San Mateo can help you decide if you are a good candidate for parquet floors.